Obama Preached Civility…Seriously, He Did

Barack Obama should lead by example

Last Saturday, Americans were again instructed on their political manners by their Moralizer in Chief.

While delivering a commencement address to the University of Michigan’s graduating students, President Barack Obama’s comments were really meant for the nation’s political class. His speech dealt with the importance of “a basic level of civility in our public debate.”

“We cannot expect to solve our problems if all we do is tear each other down,” Mr. Obama said. He spoke against “demonizing” political opponents or “questioning their motives or their patriotism.”

It is “not the hurt feelings or the bruised egos” such rhetoric causes that’s problematic, the president assured us. No, this “kind of vilification and over-the-top rhetoric” discourages “compromise . . . undermines democratic deliberation. . . robs us of a rational and serious debate.” It can even “send signals” that “violence is a justifiable response.” There is a need in politics, as the president said, to “treat others as you would like to be treated, with courtesy and respect.”

A lot is right with those words. But there’s a lot wrong with them coming from Mr. Obama, who is contributing to the “slash and burn politics” he preaches against.

If Mr. Obama is serious about his commitment to courtesy and respect, then he will need to demonstrate presidential leadership and rein in the verbal excesses of the leaders of his own party. He could start by having a conversation with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who condemned those with different views on health care as being “un-American.” He might also share a word with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who recently accused Republicans of being “anti-American” and wanting to continue to “make love to Wall Street” by pressing for changes in a bill regulating the financial industry.

Mr. Obama can give friendly counsel to the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Rep. Chris Van Hollen, who authorized a fund-raising email calling conservatives “reptiles” and “fire-breathing tea party nut jobs.” Was this in the spirit of “courtesy and respect” Mr. Obama says is vital to our democracy?

Maybe Mr. Obama should sit down with Florida Congressman Alan Grayson, who grabbed public attention when he said “Republicans want you to die quickly if you get sick,” told former Vice President Dick Cheney to “STFU,” and accused Republicans of “being foot dragging, knuckle dragging Neanderthals” who lacked “a conscience.” Even a mild White House rebuke of this Democratic backbencher would have helped establish a better tone in Washington.

Mr. Obama should also visit with his White House staff, starting with Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. The acerbic Alabamian told reporters that when it came to dealing with BP on the oil disaster unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico, the administration would “keep the boot on their throat.”

And since Mr. Gibbs credited Interior Secretary Ken Salazar with the memorable phrase, the president should call in his otherwise mild-mannered Interior secretary for a talk about treating people with “courtesy and respect,” especially in a moment of crisis.

For a man who is enormously self-aware, Mr. Obama could also use a little bit more self-awareness. He should consider how powerful—and inappropriate—a model he sets by his own frequent coarse and uncivil language.

For example, last week Mr. Obama suggested that Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell was “cynical and deceptive” in arguing that the administration’s financial regulation bill would allow more bailouts “when he knows that it would do just the opposite.” Does implying the Senate GOP leader is a hypocrite and a liar make reaching compromise easier?

Mr. Obama even draws on the Bible for political attacks. In a teleconference with religious groups supporting health-care reform, he accused opponents of the legislation of “bearing false witness.” Or take last September when, in a health-care speech to Congress, the president—in a single paragraph—accused his critics of spreading “bogus claims” and “lies” and of being “cynical” and “irresponsible.”

Even if you believe, as the president does, that the concerns of his critics are wrong, why use such sulfuric rhetoric? This is not the kind of thing the president’s predecessor, his predecessor’s father or President Ronald Reagan did or would allow their staff to routinely do.

If Mr. Obama wants his Ann Arbor words to be taken seriously, then he needs to rein in his party, his staff and himself. Presidential leadership matters as much as presidential words, perhaps more. Mr. Obama should back up his inspiring call to civility with action.

61 responses to “Obama Preached Civility…Seriously, He Did”

“President Barack Obama said that it troubles him when he hears people say that all government is inherently bad and that ranting and name-calling pose a serious danger to America as they might incite extreme elements to violence.

I did not see the other side of the story. Mr. Obama sat in a church for 20 years as his pastor ranted and raved and cursed America. Mr. Obama apparently said nothing.

When reporting a story, please tell both sides.”

I would add that in this country, every week, Islamic jihadist clerics rant and rave and preach hatred for this country and all that it stands for. One could argue that they DO pose a serious danger to America and DO incite extreme elements to violence. Case in point: American-born Anwar al-Awlaki, currently hiding out in Yemen, who was the mentor for four (so far) who have already attacked the USA, within OUR homeland, since Obama became POTUS. Count them: Nidal Hasan (13 dead at Fort Hood), Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab (hundreds would have been dead, had he not been stopped on that plane), Faisal Shahzad (many may have been killed, had he made a better bomb), Najibullah Zazi (who can say how many would have died, had his plot to bomb NYC subways succeeded)?

When’s the last time you heard this POTUS speak out against the uncivil rhetoric of these jihadist, Islamic imams? Crickets . . .

Where is the outrage from Obama? He’s too busy tarring and feathering Tea Partiers as potential domestic terrorists, despite the FACT that not ONE Tea Partier has been associated with any violence, unless it’s as a victim of leftist violence, such as Kenneth Gladney, Allee Bautsch and Joe Brown.

Wasn’t it Obama that apologizes for America and wants to transform our country because it is so bad. He is the serious danger to America. Isn’t he inciting people to violence by his reaction to the AZ laws against illegals? It is the Left who has the most extreme elements…Marxists, communists, Code Pink, environmentalists, moveon.org, union thugs, ACORN or whatever name they are using this week, and Daily Kos are a few examples.

And yes let us not forget his offensive use of the term ‘teabagger” He is a hypocrite in my eyes.
Do as I say, not as I do”
He is the instigator. He is just doing the twist.
It seems to be the only dance he knows..
Like Miri said, he knows “alot” about the nasty term “teabagger” from his own personal experience. He loves it it seems…I hope to not hear that nasty, porno term from his mouth again. Some of us do not live like that with that type of terminology. Keep it. Those that know, use and love the word are gross, offensive and show their low class to the rest of us. Low lifes. Gutter- street trash. We do not watch porn either. We prefer a cleaner life.
It shows the true class of the person and is very telling of base character.

Can you imagine innocent children asking dad ”
What is a teabagger ?” and dad answering the child that it is a nasty term.The child responds to the dad “But the president says it !”
Filthy.Wondering if he realizes how nasty and low it makes him look ?

His brand of civility is from the streets. Ask the Supremes if they believe he was civil when he attacked them at the State of the Union, and afterwards the Dems joined him in a clapping chorus. He doesn’t respect people, and he is getting the disrespect right back…except he is so surrounded by yes men, he can’t recognize it.

You’re so right, Bridgette. He IS base. I forgot all about how he disrespected the Supremes. Had to do it in front of the whole country, too, if not the world. He expects respect because he’s POTUS, but he doesn’t give any to the co-equal branches of government.

Come on. You know the only reason O says anything is to get what he wants, his Communist agenda implemented here in the United States. He wants us to shut up because we are against his agenda. He doesn’t want his supporters to shut up. He is a narcissist, remember?

He is SO phony. Just look at the “diversity” of his cabinet and administration. GWB’s was more diverse, especially with regard to women in positions of REAL power (Hillary excepted, except she’s on his leash). I wonder if the AAs notice that he’s not nominating any of them to the SCOTUS.

I noticed several articles about there being no blacks being nominated for the Supreme Ct. Supposedly, he wants his legacy to be that he nominated the third woman instead. Anyway, I think they are beginning to notice. Kagan is leading the pack because she doesn’t have a long paper trail that can be attacked.

Happens alot now huh Bridgette ? Lets see them worm out of this. People are going to start demanding resignations or answers. No more cover ups. Truth and crooks will now be EXPOSED. Turning the tables time…Party is over.

Breaking news…NY Times Square is closed down! There is a suspicious package there that they are investigating.

About three blocks are closed off. The tourists probably have no idea what is going on. Police are busy detouring traffic and getting people out of the area.

This is about the same spot as the NY terrorist tried to blow up his SUV. This could be a copy cat situation. Since this happened 493 suspicious packages have been investigated, but at no other time was the bomb squad called in. Ambulances and the fire department are now there.

The bomb squad has arrived and suited up and a robot will be put to use. They are extending the blocked off areas.

Update: The whole area was closed down for 90 minutes. It turned out that the cooler was filled with water bottles. Whew. Glad it turned out to be a false alarm.

Diversion to hide stock market gaming yesterday maybe ? Ask Miri. No more coincidences. They are hanging themselves with their own rope. The games have begun. It is going to be a long, hot summer…Get your sunscreen and shades out.

A white cooler by tables and chairs. Area on high alert due to suv bomber attempt Saturday night. This is happening in front of the Marriott Hotel.
They say someone may have just forgotten lunch cooler but not taking any chances.

He’s not even Prime Minister yet, but Barack Obama’s already insulted David Cameron. He called Cameron a “lightweight.” Obama met with David Cameron last year. (world news)

Barack Obama has already managed to insult the leading UK candidate, conservative David Cameron. After Cameron attempted to stress his pro-American credentials, Barack Obama labeled him a “lightweight.”

The Guardian reported, via FOX Nation: According to tomorrow’s New Statesman, Barack Obama was unimpressed by his encounter with David Cameron earlier this year and commented: “What a lightweight!”

According to James Macintyre’s report, Cameron’s attempt to stress his pro-American and Eurosceptic credentials did not meet with Obama’s approval. According to Macintyre’s diplomatic sources, the Democratic candidate was “distinctly unimpressed” and labelled Cameron a lightweight.

Macintyre notes that 48 hours earlier Obama had delivered a speech in Berlin stressing “the importance of Europe’s role in our security and our future”.

Now that’s a joke…The Appeaser in Chief calling anyone a lightweight.

Comments …there were some great ones!

*Cameron still has time to change Obama’s mind. The best State gift he could give Obama is an iPOD with Obama’s speeches on it, along with a painting of Obama. Only then will Obama think of him as a player in his league.

*Lightweight Cameron is better than Deadweight Obama.

*I can just picture their first meeting….
Cameron: “I assure you my policies are very ‘Pro-American’”
Obama: “Well, that makes one of us.”

O/T Romaine Lettuce grown in Yuma, Ariz., may be the source of a widespread E. coli outbreak. It has sickened at least 19 people and prompted a recall in 23 states…looks like mostly on the eastern states. Two people are seriously ill.

Peculiar isn’t it that the lettuce might be from a farm located in AZ where they are boycotting everything in the state.

Check the news to see if it is lettuce that was shipped to your state.

“‘This remark is the equivalent of using the ‘n’ word. It shows contempt for middle America, expressed knowingly, contemptuously, on purpose, and with a smirk. It is indefensible to use this word. The president knows what it means, and his people know what it means. The public thought we reached a new low of incivility during the Clinton administration. Well, the Obama administration has just outdone them,’ ATR president Grover Norquist tells Inside the Beltway.”

OF COURSE Obama knows what that term means. OF COURSE he does. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more.

newssleuth // May 4, 2010 at 10:48 pm

In his youth he learned the term from Frank Marshall Davis.

My comment:

Larry Sinclair would probably say that he learned about it “up close and personal!”

It also made me think of that manly picture of Mrs. Ed that Lame Cherry posted. I still wonder if it was a before or after photo. (Tongue kept in cheek.)

O/T Happy Mother’s Day to all our mothers! I hope it is a happy and marvelous day for each of you. May you be celebrated for all you do all year long. There should be more than one day devoted to Mom’s! This is dedicated to Grandmom’s too!

My mom passed away 4 years ago, but I will celebrate her memory today. She was one of a kind, and I owe much to her.

WOW>>> Some notes from the video. They are not in order of how he said them. Do listen to his video. It is damning.

Appeal to students, faculty member and alumnus of Columbia University.
May 7, 2010Dr. Manning is saying Columbia Univ. was involved and is guilty in the murder of a number of innocent people, was involved in the establishment of the Taliban as an organization that brutalized women, that forced women into slavery, and that took away woman’s rights.

Obama, the CIA, and the Columbia University were involved in the establishment of the Taliban! Obama involved with the arming of the mujahideen in Afghanistan. Columbia is guilty of drug running and of washing drug money.

Obama ran drugs, he not only used them, he sold them on the streets of America to finance the war against the Soviet Union. Obama money was funneled into Afganistan and Pakistan for the purchase and securing of arms was gotten by drugs sold in America.

It was George Stephanopolus who broke the Columbia story, he was an alumnus. (1982 and 1983). It was Wayne Allen Root who gave George’s story power.

Columbia took a transfer student who had a 2.3 average at Occidental and gave him a degree.

“I hate what this diabolical this big government, Trilateral Commission Institution, has done to so many people of Afganistan, and Pakistan and on the streets of the ghettos of America.”

Zbigniew Brzezinski was born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1928. His family, members of the nobility.

Served as United States National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981. Major foreign policy events during his term of office included the transition of Iran from an important US client state to an anti-Western Islamic Republic, encouraging dissidents in Eastern Europe and emphasizing certain human rights in order to undermine the influence of the Soviet Union,
[1] the arming of the mujahideen in Afghanistan
[2] to fight against the Soviet-allied Afghan government to increase the probability of Soviet invasion and later entanglement in a Vietnam-style war,
[3] and later to counter the Soviet invasion.

In 1959 Brzezinski was not granted tenure at Harvard, and he moved to New York City to teach at Columbia University. Brzezinski was on the faculty of Harvard University from 1953 to 1960, and of Columbia University from 1960 to 1989 where he headed the Institute on Communist Affairs.

Arab-Israeli conflict
Main article: Camp David Accords (1978)
On October 10, 2007 Brzezinski along with other influential signatories sent a letter to President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice titled ‘Failure Risks Devastating Consequences’.
The letter also suggested to engage in “a genuine dialogue with Hamas” rather than to isolate it further.

I found some interesting information about Zbigniew Brzezinski last night. In 1997 Zbigniew Brzezinski wrote a book titled “The Grand Chessboard” that is a “A Blueprint for World Dictatorship” . I’m posting “some” of the quotes from his book here, (you can down load the book from this site) what he writes about in 1997 is now happening. Going as “planned out” so many years ago. Frightening, truly
frightening. Many more quotes from Brzezinski’s book are at the below link –

The technotronic era involves the gradual appearance of a more controlled society. Such a society would be dominated by an elite, unrestrained by traditional values (like liberty and democracy). Soon it will be possible to assert almost continuous surveillance over every citizen and maintain up-to-date complete files containing even the most personal information about the citizen. These files will be subject to instantaneous retrieval by the authorities.
– Between Two Ages: America’s Role in the Technetronic Era, 1970

“In the technotronic society the trend would seem to be towards the aggregation of the individual support of millions of uncoordinated citizens, easily within the reach of magnetic and attractive personalities exploiting the latest communications techniques to manipulate emotions and control reason.”
– Between Two Ages : America’s Role in the Technetronic Era – 1970

“This regionalization is in keeping with the Tri-Lateral Plan which calls for a gradual convergence of East and West, ultimately leading toward the goal of one world government. National sovereignty is no longer a viable concept.” — Zbignew Brzezinski, National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter (It’s not that I’m “nationalist”. It’s that the Bill of Rights will fade away too.)

“What is most important to the history of the world? The Taliban or the collapse of the Soviet empire? Some stirred-up Muslims or the liberation of Central Europe and the end of the cold war?” – 1998 interview

The following statement was made more than twenty-five years ago in a book by Brzezinski which he wrote while a professor at Columbia University:
“Political strategists are tempted to exploit research on the brain and human behavior. Geophysicist Gordon J.F. MacDonald, a specialist in problems of warfare, says accurately-timed, artificially-excited electronic strokes could lead to a pattern of oscillations that produce relatively high power levels over certain regions of the earth … in this way one could develop a system that would seriously impair the brain performance of very large populations in selected regions over an extended period”

” … no matter how deeply disturbing the thought of using the environment to manipulate behavior for national advantages, to some, the technology permitting such use will very probably develop within the next few decades.”

Leza, You are kidding ? This person is a Hero of Hillary Clinton ? My God !
Bridgette, are you reading this garbage ? Unbelievable ! This is what is happening to us now ? I am reading that the EU is falling apart now. Are they part of this garbage plan ? Is the U.N. part of this garbage Plan ?
Unbelievable !

“Political strategists are tempted to exploit research on the brain and human behavior. Geophysicist Gordon J.F. MacDonald, a specialist in problems of warfare, says accurately-timed, artificially-excited electronic strokes could lead to a pattern of oscillations that produce relatively high power levels over certain regions of the earth … in this way one could develop a system that would seriously impair the brain performance of very large populations in selected regions over an extended period”

So glad you posted that. I read it and meant to read further. As we look at some of his statements they totally relate to us now. With all we have learned in the last couple years, it all begins to come together. We can see the influences of the past and how they are affecting us.

The one thing that did not make sense, was the attack on Israel that we are watching O do. That doesn’t fit into Z’s strategy as we needed to maintain an influence in the Middle East i.e., Israel. He also said we must not allow Iran to gain supremacy nor allow those countries to create their own power structures in tandem. This is what Iran is trying to do by pulling other countries into alliances against Israel. We are also aware of how all of the socialist/communist countries are pulling together in alliances i.e., Venezuela and Iran and Russia.

This has been mind boggling by finding the sources that are responsible for heading us in the direction we are going and seeing how many were/are now involved.

We just need to get this radical government and its supporters exposed, jailed, and silenced. We’ve come a long way in the past year..but we have miles to go! Knowledge is power!

Ho hum……. You don’t think that Kagan has seen the records from Harvard or the admission records………no, no,no……. That couldn’t happen…..Being Dean wouldn’t give her that access……… No, no, no
it’s not like you need credentials, real documents for law school….. The kind that are certified and stamped…..
There is always a safe place to hide away friends!

Did you hear? Obama today nominated Elena Kagan to be the next U.S. Supreme Court justice. Even though she is a lawyer she has no courtroom experience, no judicial experience! A case of favor being returned? humm..

She does have courtroom experience as the Solicitor General of the US and has presented cases for the US in front of the Supreme Court. I think it is two years of experience. She does not have any judicial experience. I don’t know if she practiced law before her job as Solicitor General.

Rush did some investigating on her today that I heard in the car. I will try to locate his information. She is supposed to be a constitutionalist…whether as a liberal she believes it is a living document, I don’t know. I think he called her a radical liberal.

The Dems are relying on little investigation of her because she is not on the record for her real views. I think Renee said she was associated with Goldman Sachs too. She has done well in administrative and managerial positions. Still no judicial experience and being placed on the Supreme Court! This will be a leap!

….BO always has a place to put all his “friends”…..A place where he can keep an eye on them just to make sure they don’t start singing……..What music they could make………….
Wouldn’t it be interesting for her to get an eligibility case? I guess she could recuse herself…….but , then again, I doubt she would……..

I’m going to look into Kagan more tonight. Bridge thank you for the correction. I should have read up more on her. What I did read they had said she had no courtroom experience, I should have relized as Solicitor General that she doe’s. But the fact remains that she has “no” judicial experience.

She did have a few years of practice but then taught at the Univ of Chicago law school with her friend Obie. She also lived in Hyde Park in Chicago………(had wonderful neighbors like the Ayers and Dorin I guess….. Maybe even Farakan and Wright)
(this is out of memory so please check the facts)

Under Wilentz’s direction, Kagan spent her senior year conducting research for her thesis on the history of the socialist movement, which was titled “To the Final Conflict: Socialism in New York City, 1900–1933.” Her thesis has been criticized by her opponents for revealing sympathies with the Socialist Party and became a source of controversy when she was a potential nominee for Associate Justice David Souter’s seat on the Supreme Court last spring — a position which instead went to Sonia Sotomayor ’76 — and when she was nominated for her current position of solicitor general in January 2009.

“Americans are more likely to speak of a golden past than of a golden future, of capitalism’s glories than of socialism’s greatness,” she wrote in her thesis. “Conformity overrides dissent; the desire to conserve has overwhelmed the urge to alter. Such a state of affairs cries out for explanation.”

She called the story of the socialist movement’s demise “a sad but also a chastening one for those who, more than half a century after socialism’s decline, still wish to change America … In unity lies their only hope.”

Federalist Society
Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies

The Federalist Society logo, depicting the silhouette of James Madison’s bust

Purpose/focus To promote the principles that the state exists to preserve freedom, that the separation of governmental powers is central to our Constitution, and that it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be.[1]

Location Washington, DC

The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, most frequently called simply the Federalist Society, is an organization of conservatives and libertarians seeking reform of the current American legal system[1]in accordance with a textualist and/or originalist interpretation of the U.S. Constitution.

The Federalist Society began at Yale Law School, Harvard Law School, and the University of Chicago Law School in 1982 as a student organization that challenged what its members perceived as the orthodox American liberal ideology found in most law schools. The Society asserts that it “is founded on the principles that the state exists to preserve freedom, that the separation of governmental powers is central to our Constitution, and that it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be.”[1]

The society was begun by a group including Edwin Meese, Robert Bork, Theodore Olson, David M. McIntosh, and Steven Calabresi, and its members have included Supreme Court justices Antonin Scalia, John G. Roberts and Samuel Alito.[6]

I mean I’m sure there are similar stories we heard about Obama and all the dragons he slayed as he was growing up all over the world. Anyway, this story prints out to five pages, and it makes her out to be identical to Obama — a consensus builder, brilliant and smart postpartisan, postracial — and it’s all based on, we don’t know anything about her! She hasn’t written anything. She’s been the dean of Harvard Law.

******Look, it’s clear what’s happening here as we nominated somebody from the faculty lounge, and the only person in the faculty lounge who is less qualified than Kagan for this gig is Obama. You have a bunch of theoreticians sitting around talking about a socialist utopia as it should be using all of their prejudices and all of their bigotry to rip and criticize the people they think are holding other people back, and they sit in their ivory towers — never having done diddly-squat, never having produced anything or accomplished anything — thinking they have all the answers. What happens when they get power? It’s called Greece.